Main temple of Gandan monastery

Inside is a magnificent, 26m high statue of Buddha, made from copper and guilded with gold (taking photos is prohibited). Gandan is the largest monastery in Mongolia and remains relatively intact following the Soviet purges, unlike many others which were destroyed and the resident monks killed.

Crushed at the Naadam Gates

July 11th 2006
Well we made it into Mongolia, even with all the dried food Neen had stockpiled (the customs officials were a lot more interested in checking Mongols returning home than foreigners entering). Our hosts were there to meet us at the airport near midnight on Saturday and after a short drive in the rain in a van with no seatbelts and no headlights either for that matter, we arrived at our guesthouse ( ... read more

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar

The Mongols gained fame in the 13th century when under Chinggis KHAN they conquered a huge Eurasian empire. After his death the empire was divided into several powerful Mongol states, but these broke apart in the 14th century. The Mongols eventually ... ... read more

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